


The Izumi File

by Bubblekind



Category: Kamen Rider OOO
Genre: F/M, Multichapter, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-09-25 07:43:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9809810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubblekind/pseuds/Bubblekind
Summary: Izumi Hina’s brother, Shingo, becomes the subject of a missing person case. His disappearance seems directly connected with the appearance of a rather odd and ill-tempered blonde. ( AU without “Kamen Rider OOO” where Ankh meets Hina first)





	1. A rainstorm, a Detective, and Soup

Hina leaned against the cold metal of a fence post. The rain clicked monotonously at the plastic lining of her umbrella, illuminated by a small screen against the hazy dusk. The storm was getting worse, it had pounded on relentlessly since the previous night with hardly any signs of letting up. Now and then a little spray of rain would slant down through the umbrella and splash uncomfortably against Hina’s legs. She tightened her grip on the umbrella handle, wincing at the cold sensation. The buzz of her phone eased her attitude and she tried to drown out the sound of the assaulting rain as she read the message to herself.

‘Sister, I will be by in a few minutes. I’m sorry but traffic is a bit held up at the moment. Love, Shingo.’

Hina gave a small smile at the glowing words. She gave a quick response to the text and shoved the phone back into her handbag. Having nothing else to do to pass the time, Hina merely waited by the curb under a short tree which provided hardly any shelter from the rain, seeing as its branches were stripped bare of leafage by wind and the changing seasons. Still, she admired the swaying trees across the street, how their bare branches swayed almost glossy in the dim light of the street lamps. The silhouettes of people slowly making their way down the sidewalk were made into ghostly figures as wisps of water twirled down from their figured in a grayish glow. Passing cars sent small drops of muddy water onto the sidewalk. Hina stepped back and frowned. Most of the time, she would stop to consider these small scenes but at that moment she was too cold and miserable. Nonetheless, she still took the time to count the cars. One red, three blue, four white, two taxis, five black. With each car, she became more impatient about it not being her own. An elderly woman passed by Hina and gave her an apologetic and pitiful look as she saw her standing alone in the cold downpour. Hina forced a smile and bowed her head with respect to the woman while involuntary annoyance crept up red in her cheeks. She tapped her foot in a puddle and tried to ignore the water which was slowly crawling into her socks. 

Just as she thought that nothing could save her from this misery, her brother’s car pulled up cautiously along the curb. Hina gave an audible gasp of relief and fumbled around the car to the passenger side, closing the door in an eager rush. The first thing she saw upon entering was her brother’s embarrassed smile as he tapped nervously at the steering wheel.

“Thank you.” Hina breathed, slouching into the seat and not caring if her damp clothes affected the seat’s upholstery. She tilted her head to look out the window, thankful she was no longer in the rain which continued to pour outside.

“Hey, I’m sorry I got a bit caught up.” Her brother looked down, not wanting to look straight into her eyes. He pulled away from the curb and set out towards their apartment. 

“It’s alright Shingo, really. I was actually really worried that you got into an accident or something.” Hina attempted to hide her discontent. She pressed her lips into a smile, which seemed almost painful against her conflicting emotions.

“You worry too much, sis,” Shingo laughed, relieved at not detecting anger in her tone. He momentarily took one hand off of the steering wheel to ruffle Hina’s hair. She giggled in response. “Business must have been difficult in this rain.” He offered.

Hina hummed in affirmation. “We managed.”

“And the customers?”

“They were more shaken than us, but glad to get away from the rain. I’m just thankful that Chiyoko didn’t make this week’s theme an aquatic one. That would have really stirred some nerves.” Namely Hina’s own nerves, but she didn’t disclose that to her brother. She would have been fine without seeing another drop of water in her life after that night. 

“That would be rather appropriate, don’t you think?” Shingo sniggered at his joke. Hina pinched him. She shifted back to her seat and stared out at the red tail lights of cars ahead for a few minutes. It seemed their route home was taking longer than usual. 

“Hey, Shingo?” Hina turned to her brother who remained focused on the road.

“Yeah?”

“Why do you never come visit me at work?”

Shingo sighed. “This again?”

“You wouldn’t have to stay long! Just maybe on a lunch break, come by and order soup or something.” Hina pleaded.

Her brother cleared his throat and responded, “Oh, come on, you see enough of me at home, you don’t need me tagging along during your only time without me. You may get tired of me.” He joked.

“I never could.” Hina smiled warmly.

“Besides,” Shingo cleared his throat. “My own work is very continuous. I always have to be on alert in case something happens.” His grip on the steering wheel became a bit tighter.

“Brother, nothing bad every happens here! At most, just a minor shoplifting but that doesn’t require a detective. I mean, how many times had something serious like a murder ever happened here?” The girl persisted, a hint of defiance arising in her tone.

“More than what would be considered alright.” The detective’s answer didn’t seem to satisfy Hina. She gave an indignant sigh.

All of a sudden, the red headlights in front of Shingo’s car blared red. It took a moment for Hina to realize it was their car that was faltering. 

“Shingo!” Hina warned as she pressed the steering wheel to the left, away from the car in the next lane. Shingo looked shocked and instinctively gripped the wheel harder. After swerving back to the center of their lane, Hina leaned back and exhaled, her heart caught in her through a moment and was still racing. 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry.” Shingo muttered to himself, grimaced and lightly hitting his head against the neck rest.

Hina consoled him reassuringly, trying to calm him down. She spoke with the faintest hint of worry.

\----------------------------------------

Once home, Hina set her handbag down hurriedly on a short chair, kicked off her shoes and peeled off her soaked socks. She walked briskly to the bathroom and ran a hot bath, left, and returned shortly with a set of fresh clothes which she set on the counter. Ridding herself of the sticky, freezing clothes as the most rewarding thing she had done that evening, Hina decided. Second most rewarding thing was slipping into a cozy, warm bathtub.

Shingo instantly returned to his room upon entering the apartment. The door was open a crack so a thread of light cut through the dark hallway. Hina passed, already changed in a modest nightgown and robe. She tried to peer into her brother’s room unsuccessfully. He was holed up in a corner of the room not visible to her and she didn’t want to appear suspicious. She continued to the kitchen, her mind abuzz with her brother’s strange distraction in the car. He was often the most cautious human alive to her. It wasn’t like him to take his mind off a dangerous task for a moment. Hina knew him far better than letting herself ignore such a detail. However, hunger mixed with exhaustion eventually clouded the thought from her mind. For this same reason, Hina couldn't bring herself to prepare anything more than soup for dinner. She made a simple broth seasoned with miso and green onions which was only large enough for one serving for two people. Hina ladled the steaming, golden liquid into two white bowls and transferred them to the table. Then, she made her way down the hall to the thin light of Shingo’s room. She paused at the door, realizing that opening it may be the only chance that she had to see what Shingo was up to, but hesitated. The light awkwardly struck her face as she stood there, hand poised against the wooden frame of the door. Hima gave up and knocked, instead.

“Shingo, dinner’s ready!” She called from beyond the door before returning to the dining room and taking her place at the table. The room was delicately lot with a hanging light and the rest was by various lamps around the room. As she glanced around, bored, Hina eye caught on the shrine to her parents. She instinctively bowed her head and threaded her fingers through each other respectively. A sudden wave of solemness took hold of her. Her moment of silence was broken as Shingo entered the room. For the first time that evening, Hina realized that his shirt was not buttoned all the way and that it seemed he may have skipped a few buttons. She shrugged this off. He sat down.

“Thank you for the food!” Hina and Shingo chanted as they began to eat. Hina hardly touched the soup. She was too intent on watching Shingo. He silently gulped down his soup, finishing it in nearly three minutes. His features seemed worried and rushed, although he was determined on finishing the soup before an urgent doctor’s appointment. Hina’s face twisted in sad confusion as Shingo quickly set his finished bowl in the sink and returned to his room. Hina sat alone at the table once again. She hardly had anytime to ask Shingo about what was going on before he had dashed away. She sighed and poured the leftover half of her soup into a tupperware container, setting it in the fridge. She would have it later.

\----------------------------------------

Hina’s wish goodnight to Shingo was meekly returned from inside his room. She paused once again down the hallway to give an unsteady look towards the door before continuing to bed. However, she couldn’t sleep. She lay in bed, over the covers, looking up at the ceiling at nothing in particular. She noted the thin web-like cracks which extended across the paint here and there as well as the moonlight reflected by her desk mirror. The rain was calmer now, muffled by curtains and window’s glass. But too many thoughts and scenarios scattered her brain subconsciously, none she could put a finger on. She tilted her head and sighed, staring at the wall. She remained like that, quiet and listening only to the rain and her breathing. Sleep dusted her mind as her eyelids drooped and her black hair flowed comfortingly over her neck. Hina could only think of one thing she wanted at that moment, and that was for the rain to stop. She wanted it to stop tapping at the glass and trying to get into her head with its incessant pitter- patter. After awhile of annoyedly regarding the rain, she realized that the rain wasn’t the only clicking noise. She heard one that sounded almost like fingers against a keyboard. Her mind lazily went to her brother. Sometimes his work kept him up late but never as early into the morning as it had then. Hina’s body curiously climbed out of bed, almost as if the thought took her over. She crept barefoot out of her room, down the hall, stopping at the entrance to the dining area. She pursed her lips into a displeased line as she saw her brother tapping spastically at his laptop. He didn’t glance up when she walked over to him. He just slammed the lid and rested his forehead in his hands, grinding his thumbs into throbbing temples. Hina’s brother let out a dejected sigh as he looked up at her wearily with those eyes that could always make her relieved, always made her feel like everything would be okay. However she couldn’t tell if it was the dim light of the laptop screen or the harshness with which he was staring at it, but his gaze made her feel somewhat uneasy, like she just realized she was standing on a tightrope over a pit which she couldn’t see the bottom of.

“You should go back to bed, Hina. It’s late. You have work tomorrow.” Shingo stated tiredly. Hina approached him, taking a seat next to him.

“You do too,” She replied, searching his eyes for something to hold onto, some reassurance.

“This is work.” Shingo looked back to the computer. 

Hina nodded, she felt, almost out obligation.

“I’m sorry. I must have been off-putting today.” Shingo glanced up at Hina whose face slightly hid her shock. She was surprised that he brought it up, and thankful, for she didn’t have to figure out a way to bring it up as non-awkwardly as possible. Hina merely nodded timidly and folded her hands on the table, drumming her thumbs against the wood.

“I don’t want things to change.” Hina blurted out. Her sudden confession seemed to have lifted weight off her shoulders because she continued.  
“I like my life just the way it is. Nice and simple: work, home, and you. If anything is going on, I don’t want it to change that.” Hina’s eyes became a little misty. Shingo was surprised at his sister’s forwardness. He was silent for a few moments, pondering his response. He clasped a hand over Hina’s hands and patted them soothingly.

“Neither do I. Don’t worry, sis.” He gave a small smile and reached over to Hina, ruffling her hair with his free hand. Somehow that gesture didn’t comfort Hina as much as it used to before.


	2. A Car, a Neighbor, and an Unexpected Visit

The following morning was a quiet one. Hina arose to the continuous beeping of an alarm clock reminding her of work. Sunlight crept in through the half-drawn blinds and moisture condensed on the window, sending tiny rivers of water down the glass. Sitting up in bed, the dark-haired girl could see that the storm had passed and a few puffs of stray clouds were the only remnants. She leaned forward and stretched, hair sliding off her shoulders. Slowly, she eased herself up to get dressed and tiptoe down the hall to go make breakfast.

Passing by her brother’s room, she noticed it was still shut tight like he was still asleep.

“Brother?” Hina called softly, knocking on the door. No response. She looked at the time on a nearby clock and hurried on with her morning routine. 

Hina was bothered by her brother’s decision to sleep in. He hardly ever had off days but she decided his agency let him go for once. She decided on asking him about it later. Hina wiped a few crumbs of toast from her breakfast from her chin and swung her purse over her shoulder. Before leaving the apartment, she slipped on some elegant black flats and hesitated at the door knob. The distance from her residence to her work was well over walking distance, especially if she was planning on making it on time. Her gaze fluttered to Shingo’s car keys which lay in a dish by the door. She moved her arm slightly and her fingers twitched over them. 

“I’m sorry Shingo, I can’t be late!” Hina called guiltily even though she knew he wouldn’t answer, still probably in deep sleep. Hina grasped the keys and made her way out of the apartment to her brother’s car. 

Sitting behind the leather wheel of a car was nearly foreign to Hina. Although she had a license, she rarely used it because Shingo drove her practically everywhere out of affection. So, sitting alone in the driver’s seat of a car all alone was unsettling to Hina and she decided immediately that she didn’t like it. Nonetheless, she shook off the feeling. She pulled out into the street towards her work at the Cous Coussier. 

\----------------------

“I can’t help but notice you’re rather quiet today.” Someone called to Hina, knocking her out of a daze.

Hina hummed quizzically and glanced up at the older woman before returning to scrubbing the table in front of her.

“Something’s up. You’re never like this.” The woman persisted, laying a hand on her hip.

Hina straightened her back and smiled at the lady, wiping a puff of soap bubble off her blouse. “Chiyoko, I’m alright, honestly. Just a bit worried about my brother.”

“Your brother?” Chiyoko’s brow furrowed and she took a step towards Hina.

“It’s nothing.” Hina went back to rubbing the rag against the tabletop vigorously, turning a nervous face away from her boss. “He just slept in today. He must be off of work today but didn’t tell me.” She sighed.

Chiyoko offered a light chuckle. “You know, he doesn’t need to tell you every detail of his life. But I understand your concern. I’m here. If you need me…” She placed a hand on Hina’s shoulder, giving a supportive smile.

“Thank you.” Hina gave Chiyoko a grateful bow and carried a tub full of silverware into the kitchen. 

Hina exhaled slowly and glanced at a radio which fizzled in the corner of the kitchen counter. The lazy music that flowed from its speakers distracted her as she washed silverware. Chiyoko burst in after her and busied herself with preparing a meal for a new customer. 

“Hina, darling, can you hand me one of those?” Chiyoko flicked a strand of dark hair out of her face and pointed at a stack of green platters. 

Hina nodded and wiped her hands on a towel before passing one of the dishes to the woman. 

‘Breaking news, missing person case-’ the radio’s music was interrupted with a monotonous newscast.

Her grip on the plate nearly failed. Chiyoko saw this and crossed over to the radio, switching it off and relieving Hina of the plate.

“I get that you’re on edge, Hina but we are getting busy! God, I wish we had one or two more chefs here.” Chiyoko seemed panicked and hurried to arrange food on the platter. Hina nodded and finished scrubbing the silverware only to have chiyoko load a heap of dirtied dishes onto the counter next to her.

“Stick those in the dishwasher, I need all the help I can get on the floor.” Chiyoko tugged at Hina’s sleeve. She hurried out of the kitchen carrying platefuls of food. Hina followed. 

\----------------------

Out in the restaurant, business was bustling in a lunchtime rush. Hina greeted a few familiar faces and even had to graciously shake off a few flirtatious boys. 

“Order of cheesecake!” Chiyoko called to Hina as she crossed the restaurant to host a new table.

“Alright.” Hina responded. She fetched a cheesecake from the kitchen and brought it to Chiyoko. Surprisingly, the receiver of the cheesecake was a friendly face to Hina.

“You’re-!” Hina began, not being able to place the name on the tip of her tongue.

“Eiji. Hino. Hino Eiji.” The customer finished, smiling up at her with wide brown eyes.

“Yes! That’s right. I’m so sorry I forgot.” Hina smiled and bowed her head apologetically. 

“No-no-no.” Eiji waved his hands and chuckled. “It’s okay. I believe you’re Hina, right?” He asked the girl.

“Yeah.” Hina pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, embarrassed. “I can’t believe I forgot your name. I’m terrible.” She laughed. Chiyoko smirked at Hina and was about to walk away before she mischievously added “Well I’ll just leave you two alone then”

“It isn’t like that!” Hina defended, her cheeks hot. “He’s my neighbor.” She stated. Chiyoko only laughed and moved on to bus a table. Hina turned back to Eiji.

“Sorry about her. She can be a loose cannon.” Hina nervously chuckled and smiled.

“Don’t worry I don’t mind her.” The boy with dark hair assured, pointing to the seat across from himself so Hina would sit.

“So why did you come today?” Hina inquired while sliding into the seat. “I’ve never seen you in here before.”

“Dunno.” He shrugged. “To be honest, there were some police cars buzzing about the apartment complex and I didn’t appreciate the atmosphere.” He bit into his cheesecake, savoring the flavor. “This is delicious! Wow, I really should have come sooner.”

“Sorry, did you say police?” Hina blinked across the table, her hands twitched.

“Mhm. All over.” Eiji didn’t look up from his cheesecake as he picked at it.

“Oh.” Hina’s breath sped up and she anxiously chewed her lip.

“I’m sorry is that bad?” Eiji glanced up then gasped and leaned in. “You aren’t on the run from the law are you?”

“No, no, it’s just-” Hina’s mouth suddenly went dry as she searched for what to say. “Too many coincidences. I hope everyone in our apartment complex is alright.” A lump of dread rose in Hina’s throat.

\----------------------

During her drive home, Hina’s conversation with Eiji deeply unnerved her. Sweet boy that he was, his words were not in the least bit heartening. She tapped at the steering wheel and chewed her lip, distracting herself from the scenarios which played in her head. When she pulled up in the parking lot of the complex, she saw that Eiji’s report was true. Four police cars were parked out front of the apartment entrance. Hina’s breath once again became quick and her heart raced. Worry fluttered in her stomach as she wished her brother was alright. 

After she climbed the stairs to her apartment, Hina saw her door was already open and the sound of voices conversing gravely from inside was floating toward her. In a speck of hope that one of the voices was her brother’s, Hina drew nearer, a nervous smile flicked her cheeks. As she rounded the corner into her doorway, her face fell. The room was occupied by three cops crouching by the table, looking in the kitchen and standing right in front of her. 

“Miss Izumi” The man in front of her greeted without the slightest hint of a smile on his face. 

“You’re Shingo’s boss, right?” Hina’s breath shuddered with fear and she clutched at her purse until her fist shook with force, bending the metal ring on the strap. “Why are you here?”

“We are here on account of a missing person case.” The man continued

“Oh. I heard about that on the radio.” The emotion was sucked from Hina and dread pitted itself in her stomach. “Who is it?” She nearly whispered.

The chief cleared his throat and softened his tone. “Miss Izumi, your brother, Izumi Shingo, is missing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey sorry for the delay! Here's chapter 2!


	3. Tears, Police Officers, and a Tablet

Hina had expected herself to cry, shout, faint- anything. Anything at all. She did not expect herself to be completely silent. She stared straight ahead into the officer’s eyes- nothing. The officer’s eyes remained coldly on her and Hina thought she would cry by just his look. Instead she walked weakly over to the couch, sitting down in a tired sigh. The other policemen glanced at her briefly before returning to work. 

“I knew it.” Hina said in a small voice. Her eyelids drooped, she did not have the energy to keep them open.

“Miss Izumi, I know this is difficult but right now we must have your compliance. When was the last time you saw Izumi Shingo.” The officer leaned forward in front of her, trying to grasp her attention. Hina slumped further into the sofa.

“I knew it.” She repeated in a whisper, lip trembling.

“Where did you last see your bro-” The officer broke off when he was interrupted by a gentle sob.

Hina placed her head in her hands, streams of tears trickling between her fingers. Her shoulders trembled. Brother… Hina thought. Brother you promised you wouldn’t-. She lifted her head, a little embarrassed by her tears in front of such a professional group. The officer then softened his gaze and placed a comforting hand on Hina’s shoulder.

“This is a special case, Miss Izumi. Shingo is one of our most valued detectives and cases like this would be impossible without him.” He cleared his throat and brought himself back to full height. “You are his closest living relative so you’re information on Shingo will really help us a lot.”

Hina’s temples hurt, a headache plagued her head. Words swam and she could barely hear the officer over the ringing in her ears. Nonetheless she gulped and nodded.

“So once again, Miss Izumi, when was the last time you saw your brother?”

Hina remained silent, her eyes at the floor. She gripped the cushion of the sofa and didn’t notice the tears that her fingers began to make in the upholstery. 

The officer sighed and leaned back down to Hina. “Listen, I know this information may come as a shock to you but we can’t find your brother without your help! If you don’t want to talk now, fine. But please come to our office if you have any details. You know where the office is, I hope?”

Hina nodded.

“Good.” He scratched the back of his head. “We are going to be taking some of your brother’s personal possessions for inspection. Other officers may be coming in and oud within the next few days for them.” He turned over his shoulder and to the door. At his command, all the officers in the apartment appeared from various rooms clutching evidence bags and cleared the space. Before closing the door, the officer added “We will find him, Miss Izumi,” He began out the door then stepped back in to say “Don’t get too involved. The more we can keep civilians out of this, the better.” Then he slammed the door causing Hina to shiver. 

She sat there in the silence for a moment, staring down her empty apartment.

\------------

Shingo had come back from work later than usual, his face slightly bruised and his lip split. Hina had rushed up to him and immediately inspected his injuries.

“What happened?” She prodded worriedly.

Shingo merely gave a reassuring chuckle and explained: “Just got a bit rough at work.”

She looked into his eyes. He was trying very hard not to concern her but it wasn’t working. Every second that Shingo was away at work, she worried.

“Just- promise me,” Hina said in a low voice, looking down at the floor. “Promise that you won’t let something terrible happen: like you die or get hospitalized? I couldn’t bear it, Shingo.”

Shingo responded by nodding and patting her head as though she were a little girl.

\------------

Why couldn’t he have just stayed safe? Why couldn’t he have kept his promise? Hina sat there, arms wrapped around herself, wondering. She just wanted to rewind time to a day ago, throw her arms around him and beg him to not leave the house. 

She slowly stood and walked down the hall. His bedroom door was completely open and she faltered in the hallway, still wondering if entering was alright. She inhaled deeply and stepped in, breaking the barrier. Shingo’s room was quite normal, really. He had a simple bed with one pillow, a small closet, and a computer desk. (The laptop which normally sat on it was missing. She assumed the police took it for inspection, as it was the device he used most that she was aware of). Being in that room made her cold. She sat down at the desk and brought her knees up to her chest. On the desk sat little frames filled with various pictures. One displayed Shingo’s graduation picture while another showed Shingo and Hina laughing as they looked at lemurs at the zoo. Hina couldn’t stand the pictures, whenever she appeared in one she alway thought it was and ugly shot of her but Shingo treasured them nonetheless. Even now, that thought made Hina’s body ache in his absence. She sighed. Turning around in her seat she felt that she no longer belonged in the room. She got up, but something caught her eye. A glint of black against the white mattress of the bed. Hina approached it and leaned down to inspect, lifting up the mattress. She pulled out a black tablet and instantly a pang of fury shot through her. Another piece of technology without her knowledge? Did he think they were rich or something? He obviously didn’t want her to know about it, tucking it in his bed like that. Hina realized it could have been luck, though, that she stumbled upon some evidence. She attempted to access the tablet however upon turning it on, it was locked with a passcode. Of course, she sighed, he always has to be so sneaky. Once again, something caught her eye. Determined as Hina was, she would not let a passcode get in the way. She liked her lips and began to plug in numbers, any combination that would work. Nothing happened. To her chagrin, the tablet displayed a message saying “you have inputted too many invalid passcodes. Tablet will lock for three hours.” Three hours? Wow Shingo really had taken extra security measures to make sure no one kept trying to access this thing. Just what kind of stuff was hidden on it? Hina wrinkled her nose at the thought. 

\----------

Hina knocked on her neighbor's door three times and waited patiently, fidgeting with the device in her hands. The door opened and a rather shocked looking Hino Eiji appeared.

“Hi! Woah- Hina are you okay?”

Hina merely nodded, she looked away from him, trying to hide the blotchiness of her cheeks streaked from tears. “My brother… um…. they don’t know where he is.” Hina looked at her shoes and sighed, willing back tears.

“Oh, Hina, I’m sorry. Would you like to come in and talk about it?” Eiji placed a hand on her arm and opened the door a bit. Hina shook her head and held out the tablet.

“No I’m just here about this. This is my brother’s but I can’t access it because of the passcode. I think it might have something important on it. You know how to get in?” She seemed desperate, her eyes filled with stretched hope.

Eiji scratched his neck and shrugged.   
“Sorry you need a passcode to access it. Why’d you come to me anyway?”

Hina blushed, embarrassed. She was afraid to admit her unfamiliarity with technology should he laugh at her. However, he just offered a warm smile.

“Um, I am running short on options?” She said, biting her lip nervously.

“Well, hey, there is this amazing tech store downtown. I’ve taken my phone there a few times and they fixed it good as new. Maybe they can do this for you.” 

Of course! She cursed herself for not thinking of that. Literally just go to the tech experts. She nodded and thanked him, scribbling down the address of the store on her hand before saying goodbye.

Hina sighed, staring at the tablet which only offered her reflection on the black screen. She made her way to Shingo’s car after fetching the keys, thoughts still pounding her head. Why was she going through this trouble? The police should be the ones doing this. Then a feeling of white hot nerves went to her stomach and she knew. Guilt. She felt guilty for what happened. She could have stopped him! Why didn’t she? Then she realized how hopeless her situation was: clutching a tablet to her chest and fussing over it without any lead whatsoever. This could uncover everything she wanted to know about her brother, or it could be a wild goose chase.


	4. A Tablet, a Pipe, and a Doppelgänger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A technically savvy mind helps Hina out. Hina helps someone out with her super strength.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some Ankh in here woop!

An electronic sounding bell chimed as Hina stepped through the door of a brightly lit store with high white walls. Her grip on the tablet tightened as she walked through the shelves of electronics toward the customer service desk. When she looked up, a pair of tired black eyes looked back at her.

“Welcome to Kougami Foundation Electronics how may I help you?” The dark haired man behind the counter asked without the slightest trace of enthusiasm. He drummed his fingers against a keyboard, typing away laboriously. 

“Um-” Hina set the iPad down on the counter, pushing it toward the man. “I need this tablet unlocked. I’m not that great with technology.” She laughed anxiously and fell silent under the man’s gaze. He picked up the device and looked at the locked screen, sighing dully and pushing it back towards Hina

“I’m afraid I can’t do that without a serial code, ma’am. Otherwise I can’t tell if this device really belongs to you.” He turned away back to his computer but Hina caught his arm.

“Wait.” She breathed shakily and the man’s eyes widened as though he couldn’t tell whether she would attack him or not. “You have to open this thing I don’t know what else to do.” She let go of the man’s wrist, cradling her hands to herself. The man silently stared at her. “This is my brother’s and I have no other leads on finding him. Just- please!” Her brow furrowed as she looked at the tablet.

“Miss, I-”

“Shintaro… Goto, is it?” She read his name tag, her voice lowering in pitch. She searched his eyes. “Have you ever lost something that meant everything to you and had no clue how to get it back?” Hina just wanted to shrink away, then and there. She felt the stares of customers behind her and the silence that Goto gave was not in the least bit helpful. He stopped typing on the keyboard and looked at the girl on the other side of the counter. Hina could feel hope slipping from her fingertips. “I understand.” She said quietly, taking the tablet in her hands and turning to leave, her lip shaking. 

“Wait.” Goto’s voice stopped her. He took the tablet from her hands and connected it to his computer, punching away at the keys. 

Hina stood with a grateful smile growing on her face. “Thank you so much!” Anxiety mixed with relief as she watched Goto fiddle with the device.

“Name?” He asked.

“Izumi Hina.” She responded quickly, voice brimming with nerves.

“I mean the name of the owner of this device. Your brother, right?”

“Right. Yes, sorry.” She laughed shakily and responded. “Izumi Shingo.”

“Mhm.” Goto hummed as he clicked on the computer. He avoided eye contact with the jittery Hina as he worked. She drummed her nails absentmindedly on the desk to his annoyance, but he refrained from complaining. Customer’s comfort first! “So… your brother. Is he gone?” He met her gaze for a moment and instantly regretted it, seeing the pain in her eyes. “I apologize I shouldn’t have asked. That was out of line. Please forgive me.” 

“No. Don’t apologize.” Hina shifted, leaning against the counter, looking at the tablet and wondering what sort of advanced technological procedure he was doing that she would not understand. The police came in today and told me. I couldn’t even imagine… Brother’s work was fairly dangerous at times and many times I worried he would end up hospitalized but I didn’t think that this could ever happen. Not to him.” Hina glanced away, forcing back welling tears. 

Silence.

“I’m sorry. I’m sure the police are doing everything they can, Miss Izumi.” With that, Goto handed back the device and added in a low voice: “Just- don’t let my boss know about this. I am violating several company policies for this.” 

Hina responded with a slow and acknowledging nod. 

“I have removed the passcode from the tablet but I can’t retrieve any internal account passcodes. I hope this helps.” Goto turned back to his computer quickly as though he never even had a conversation with Hina. “Have a nice day.”

“Thank you very much.” Hina bit her quivering lip and offered a fragile smile. She clutched the iPad to her chest and turned away. She looked over her shoulder and said in a slow and unsure voice: “This is not my place at all, so forgive me for saying this, but you don’t seem very happy to be here. It’s my belief that your work should be rewarding to you in some way. Once again thank you for this!” She emptied some money from her purse onto the counter and counted out the maintenance fee. Goto pushed the money back into her hand.  
“No need. Just this once.”

“Th-thank you!” Hina bowed quickly and deposited the money back in her purse before making her way back to the front of the store.

\----------------------

Hina felt a new energy flowing through her fingertips as she held the device. She walked with a new determination, knowing that any time soon she would be able to get even closer to her brother’s whereabouts. Every step she took was one step closer to once again running toward her brother’s familiar smile, and thus she found her smiling to herself.

“Brother…” She collapsed with a sigh on a bench in a square, little trees with thin trunks lined the sidewalk and cement in a checkerboard pattern decorated the walkways. Couples and families walked by chatting ceaselessly, old souls entertained and soothed one another. This sight reminded Hina of how everything had seemed just a few days ago. Shingo would smile at her in the morning and Hina was so glad that he was the first person she saw each day. He was a piece of reality that she could hold onto, a piece of family and happiness. 

She traced the edges of the tablet with her fingers hesitantly. Could she really have the strength to open this device? She knew it would be best to turn it into the police but something still seemed off about the whole situation. Shingo would never run off without telling her. In the worst case scenario that he was- Hina shook the thought from her head. How did the police department know so quickly he had really been missing? Nothing added up and it made her head swim. She turned her attention back to the tablet. The sun bounced off the black screen, appearing as though it were happy and glowing. Just like brother, Hina thought. She took a deep breath and turned on the iPad, staring at the lock screen. The image looking back at her was a selfie of her and Shingo at the amusement park three years prior. Her breath caught in her throat. Hina swiped the lock screen as directed and proceeded further into the tablet.

From the first page of the home screen, Hina could see that Shingo had 10 missed messages and 7 unread emails. She looked through them. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The texts were nothing more than messages from coworkers regarding a party and emails were junk ads for cooking magazine subscriptions. Hina sat there staring at the harmless information on the screen. Something- there must be something! She swiped through his apps, none that were not on factory default for an apple product. 

“Damn it!” Hina cursed to herself, biting her shaking lip. Her shoulders trembled with fury. This whole ordeal did nothing for her. She had no leads, no new evidence, and worst of all, she had no deductive expertise to show for. She clicked the iPad shut and exhaled, leaning back in the bench, staring at the clouds above her as a frustrated tear trickled down her cheek. 

Nothing mattered anymore, Hina decided as she stood up, smoothing out her dress and heading off with the tablet tucked under her arm. I can’t help him, she brooded to herself.

“No matter what I do, I can’t do enough,” she whispered dully. The world seemed a lot grayer to her than before. 

She made her way to the crosswalk. Leaves crunched underfoot. People chattered around her and cars honked their horns. Construction workers drilled on the sidewalk. Hina passed by. She wondered silently if she should give up, let the police force handle this alone. How could they? No one new her brother as well as her. They were keeping her aside when really she should have been exhibit A. 

The sound of metal clanging together grabbed Hina’s attention. She looked up and around seeking out the source of the noise when she saw a large industrial pipe tumbling down the side of a building toward a busy sidewalk. Without thinking twice, instinct kicked in and Hina found herself rushing toward the crowd of people, hurdling some bushes in the process. Screams were already coming from the area she was headed and people were running, yet someone still stood on the way, oblivious of the commotion.

“Watch out!” Hina yelled, she grabbed the person’s arm, pulling them down and out of the way while she held up her other arm to the pipe. The tablet she held fell to the ground, but with a nervous glance, she saw that it was unscathed. Within a split second, the pipe landed on her outstretched hand with a terrible clang, eliciting screams from the surrounding pedestrians. Then the pipe bounced and rolled away to the side where it lie harmlessly against a tree trunk. Hina shook the slight pain from the impact out of her arm and panted, the adrenaline rush left her body and her sprint over to that spot caught up with her.

“Are you alright?” She managed between staggered breaths, finally facing the person she was still clutching onto. 

That sight nearly took the wind out of her. She was looking at blond hair and curls and furrowed brows, but what disturbed her the most was that the man before seemingly had the face of-

“Shingo?” Hina breathed, eyes squinting at the person who stood in her grasp. She realized she said that allowed when a rather irritated look from the blond darted back at her. The man tore his wrist from her hand in a swipe and continued walking down the sidewalk as though he hadn’t been nearly killed just a few moments ago.

Hina sat there, stunned. The resemblance was uncanny; even though she looked at that man’s face for only a few seconds, she could see they had the same nose and jawline. Even their eyes, albeit the man’s intense and dark look, were identical. Hina shook herself out of her daze to find that her brother’s doppelgänger disappeared from sight. 

“Wait-!” She ran forward, picking up the tablet which had clattered to the ground, calling helplessly. She pushed through onlookers who were still whispering among themselves about the feat of heroism that had taken place before them. And there the heroine was, sprinting away.

Hina turned the corner and ran a block down further into the city. She leaned against a tree to rest, all the running today was taking its toll on her. Then, she spotted a head of reddish-gold hair across the street and once again, her shoes were slapping against the pavement.

“Hey!” She called to the man. She was only a few paces behind him yet he walked on without a look back. “Um-” she began, jogging up to him, but he quickly maneuvered around a corner and quickened his pace. Hina followed suit, jumping over a low brick wall to follow the man. “Excuse-” she tried again desperately. However, the blond had hastened into a full on run, ducking under a stairway and through a maze of crates. The girl pursued him, awkwardly teetering on the crates in shock of the new terrain. The man continued his haphazard path until Hina lost sight of him. Just when she thought the chase was over, she caught sight of him in a narrow alleyway. 

“Excuse me!” Hina caught his sleeve and held him from running.

“Why are you following me. What do you want?” His voice was bitter and low. Hina didn’t know how to receive this, how someone who looks just like her brother could have such a biting and vicious voice?

“I um- I wanted to know if you were okay.” Hina offered a small smile. The lie came quickly and easily. Hina hated to lie but she had said the truth, he would have been creeped out beyond belief.

He snorted. “Bullcrap. No one would chase someone relentlessly over a dumb question.” The blond flicked his hair out of his eye only for it to fall back over it again.

“I-” Hina began nervously, palms sweating both at the embarrassment of her thoughts and the labor of running nearly a half mile. She honestly just wanted to get another look at his face. It sounded weird even to her, but something about that man and Shingo’s resemblance set a spark off in her gut. It was a sort of sick joke, she decided. Someone must have surely put this man in her life to taunt her even more. Still, she clung to him, not wanting to let go. Both metaphorically and physically. Looking at this man’s intense expression, Hina could still see a glimmer of her brother in his features. She wondered if, even if it was some slim and improbable chance, that this could be him. “I am glad you aren’t hurt.”

The blond didn’t respond. Once again, he yanked his arm from the girl’s grasp and began to walk away.

Letting go, Hina thought…. not yet.

“My name is Izumi Hina, it is nice to meet you!” Hina bowed and looked up to the man, smiling. He had looked back and something had softened in his eyes. For a moment, his annoyance was replaced with an expression that could only be described as disbelief. Then he turned away from Hina and walked further into the alley. She took a step forward and was about to protest when a voice called back from the man.

“Ankh. And don’t follow me.” Ankh said, crossing the alley and rounding a corner.

Hina wanted to run after him again. She wanted to chase again and again him until she had answers, but the some new thought in her head screamed “danger!” at her.


End file.
